How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver For Free

What's at the bottom of the Mariana Trench

If you worry now about how this will all come together, don’t – a big part of the course is learning how to set up your Sidemount equipment as well as to measure and adjust bungees and clips to make sure your tanks are in trim next to your legs. And of course, your instructor will help you with all of it!

Don't worry if you are worried about how everything will fit together. You will learn how to set up your Sidemount equipment. Also, how to measure and adjust your bungees and clips so your tanks stay in line next to your legs. Your instructor will guide you through all this!

Scuba sidemount diving is very popular, even in open sea.

Decompression divers may add Helium into their cylinders to make deep dives over 130ft. Sometimes they are less likely to visit wrecks or reefs than astronauts to reach the moon every year.

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It's becoming increasingly popular and Girls that ScubaHQ noticed it quickly! There were lots of questions and nerves. So we went to Theresia Gullner, one of the few female tech instructors in Asia. She works at Blue Marlin Gili T Lombok. We were then introduced to the twin sets and given an introduction to technical diving. Here's what we learned from her:

Your Sidemount BCD is a harness with a bladder and a somewhat intricate system of sliding D-rings, bungee cords, and clips. Their position and fit are crucial for your tank position and trim later in the water and your instructor will probably spend quite a bit of time to get them just right.

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Technical Divers

Technical Divers

Sidemount divers generally use two tanks. But you can use one tank, (I was told it's called monkey), or two tanks for deco dives.

Sidemount diving was originally developed in cave diving. However, it has now made its way into recreational non-overhead diving. Simply put, sidemount diving means that you no longer wear one or two tanks on your back. Instead, you wear your tanks on either your side. The tanks can be attached to a Sidemount BCD with clips and/orbungee cords. This gives you great flexibility. Cave divers were able to use this flexibility to allow them to transport their tanks underwater and fit into tight spaces.

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver For Free

How many certified cave divers are there

Sidemount provides many benefits for divers but is best suited to cave diving. Sidemount was in fact invented by cave divers. These are just some of the benefits.

Since the beginning of the century, one of the most significant changes in the equipment cave divers use has been the shift from backmounted doubles to sidemount. Not only do a substantial number of cave divers now sidemount, it’s possible that there are more open-circuit sidemount cave divers than backmount cave divers.

What is the deepest scuba dive
What is the deepest scuba dive

Sidemount diving has many advantages. You have two tanks with one regulator, a first stage, and SPG. It makes it safer and allows for little air-hogs such as myself to get more air. Sidemount is also very comfortable, as you can quickly put tanks on the water surface and there's no pressure on your back.

The next day, technical sidemount was underway. This meant adding our deco 50 percent oxygen and 100% oxygen tanks on either end. The tanks will make you appear more prominent underwater. Each side of your waist has a few clips. As your tanks become buoyant from the air you exhale, adjust your tank to the second clip. You want to make your life as simple as possible. In a matter of minutes, your breathing is switched between the tanks. You can breathe easily because the pressure in each tanks is equal. Like all new things, experience is crucial to comfort and enjoyment. The following days I spent deco diving with the sidemount rig. My buddy David Joyce, Evolution co-owner and Trimix instructor, was with me. We went to the Japanese Mogami Japanese Mogami shipwreck at 164 feet. There, I was charmed and enthralled by the remnants of gas masks, uniforms, bones, and other old items we saw.

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Twinsets on the other hand are two tanks attached to the back of the diver and are usually connected with each other thru a manifold. This means a diver can access to both tanks using a single regulator.

Sidemount diving can be done by anyone who is an Open Water Diver. While it is essential to have good buoyancy and trim, you will be able setup and handle your equipment by yourself. Sidemount diving is a great way to expand your skills and knowledge in equipment setup.

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According to experts, approximately 40% of technical divers enroll in additional education and training programs. This yields a reasonable estimate of approximately 160,000 active technical divers worldwide.